


Talk to me

by Blackchocomuffin



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Self-Doubt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 12:09:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15509559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackchocomuffin/pseuds/Blackchocomuffin
Summary: With Noctis beign trapped inside the crystal, Gladio clams up in self-doubt. Is he still worthy to be called a Shield?





	Talk to me

**Author's Note:**

> Let Gladio be weak!!

        "Y/n, Gladio and the others are back!" the ringing voice of your friend Holly echoed inside the Lestallum power plant. She didn't manage to even finish the sentence that you bolted at breathtaking speed towards the Leville. It's been months since the last time you saw your boyfriend and his friends and there were many, plenty of things you wanted to talk about, but above all you couldn't wait to feel his burly hands grip your hips while you exchange a swift welcome back kiss, perceiving the slightly embarrassed glances of the other three boys resting on you.

As you dashed and your mind fantasized, you find yourself in front of what was supposed to be the quartet of friends.  
       "Hey, guys, it's been ages!" you greeted beaming at them, "But... I see you're one member short... Where's Noct?" you inquired, looking around tilting your head. None of the three could find the words, but above all the strength, to explain what had happened to the future king. Like children caught stealing candies, no one was able to look at you in the eyes. You heard Prompto sniffle and you noticed he was wiping away a tear with the back of his hand, Ignis was biting his lower lip, frowning. Gladio kept his head hanging low and his hands were balled in a fist so tight that his knuckles were turning white.  
        "Guys, what happened?" you asked, furrowing your eyebrows.  
Silence seemed to last for an eternity until Ignis managed to find the strength to speak "Noct is-" he whispered with discomfort, "He is trapped inside the crystal."  
You couldn't believe your ears. With eyes wide open a disbelieved "What?", escaped from your lips, suddenly darkening your features. You didn't know what to say, you didn't know what to do. You truly could understand how everyone felt, dejection and discouragement filled the air. They had failed in their task of protecting Noctis, the only crumb of hope for Lucis's salvation. What would have happened to your land now? Would you fall into the hands of Niflheim? Would the daemons infest every corner of Eos soon? But above all, will Noctis ever come back? If so, when?

These were the questions that were whirling around in your head, which you didn't have the resolution to ask, when you noticed that Ignis had started shuffling towards the hotel along with Prompto. Gladio was the only one left behind, his feet rooted on the plaza's cobblestones and his back drooped.  
         "Gladdy, if you don't feel like going to the Leville you can stay at my house for a few days" you gently suggested, moving attentively towards him and placing a hand on his tattooed arm. "It could make you feel better having some company, don't you think?" you continued, hinting a wistful smile.  
Gladio slightly straightens his shoulders allowing you to meet his gaze. You had never seen him like this, his amber eyes usually so vivid and full of passion were now dull and expressionless. He looked so lost, his gaze roamed restlessly now in your surroundings, now on the children playing near the fountain, until it lingered on your minute figure. But although he fixedly stared at you, it was as if he didn't see you, as if you were transparent and he could look through your body. You didn't want to leave him alone like this. You just couldn't.

Determined to stay close to your lover, you slid your hand on his muscular back and gently pushed him towards your apartment. Along the way home neither of you uttered a single word, both distant light years from each other, both of you lost in your own train of thoughts.  
At the entrance of your apartment you slid the keys into the lock and as soon as you opened the door you turned to Gladio and you whispered "Welcome home."

No reply.

He was dazed on the threshold, you didn't even know if he had heard your words. So, gently taking his arm you guided him in front of the sofa and invited him to sit down, then you planted a kiss on the scar that marks his forehead.  
         "Make yourself comfy, Gladdy." you affirmed lovingly. "If you want to watch TV, there's the remote." you continued, pointing to the coffee table in front of the sofa.  
         "Anyway, I'm going to make some tea, you'll be better after taking a sip of it." you paused, hoping to receive any kind of sign from him.  
         "So," you continued, "I'm going to the kitchen. If you need anything let me know, ok?" sighing, you take a step away when you hear Gladio answering with a light "Mh", always keeping his amber eyes nailed in an undefined spot of your tiny but cozy living room. Finally he had given you an answer, albeit slight, but this didn't change the fact that you were genuinely worried about him. For this reason, while you were waiting for the tea water to heat up, every now and then you would look out of the kitchen to glance at your boyfriend, sitting with his elbows on his thighs and the palms of his hands covering his eyes. It breaks your heart seeing the person you cherish most in this poor condition, with his back so bent, almost as if he wished to curl up so as not to let his feelings leak out.  
         "Here I am with tea, Gladio" you announced reappearing from the kitchen, drawing the attention of the man, who kept his eyes glued on the carpet in the middle of the living room until you took place next to him, snuggled up beside him and squeezed his stiff hand in yours. You hoped that Gladio, feeling you so close to him, resolved that he should open up, even if only a little, and vent himself. But instead he didn't return your grip as he used to do when you were the one feeling disheartened, intertwining his calloused fingers with yours. He didn't say a word. The only sound you could hear was his slow, steady breathing, apparently as calm as a stream, but you could imagine how a stormy sea was actually unleashing deep inside his heart.

Having noticed the tea on the table, Gladio stretches his free hand to take his cup and slowly sips the steaming drink.  
        "Gladdy..." you whispered, caressing the back of his hand, "I know what you're thinking but-"  
        "No, you don't know a damn thing." he abruptly interrupts you, suddenly scrambling from the couch.  
You stood there, dumbfounded, failing to grasp his statement on the spot. But Gladio was right, you couldn't understand what he was going through right now. After all, you didn't even know in which circumstances Noctis' traces had been lost, how could you even have the nerve to declare that you fathom all the pain he was experiencing?  
        "I'm gonna take a shower." Gladio sighs deeply, disappearing in a flash behind the bathroom door.  
Seeing his reaction, you realized that he needed some time to process everything that had happened and you were going to leave him as much time as he needed to recover. You also needed time to get a better grasp of the circumstances, to figure out how to approach Gladio without him fleeing like a wild animal. You asked Holly for advice, but the only suggestion you received was "Do it the hard way.", typical reply from a woman with an almost brutal sincerity and who faces head on all hardships on her own. Probably, or rather certainly, such piece of advice wouldn't have been very useful in this kind of situation, one that requires tact and delicacy. So following your instinct you decided to be patient and wait for Gladio to make the first move, even if patience wasn't really one of your virtues.

To your misfortune, after more than a week of tolerant and unnerving wait, the silent treatment hadn't yet come to an end. Gladio still hadn't uttered a word, at most a few grumbles incomprehensible to your ears. Many times you tried to lighten the dense and stifling atmosphere sharing with him all the funny stories happened at work or when you were hanging out with your friends, but to no avail. Actually, every time you opened your mouth it seemed like you were bothering him, noticing that his hands were balling into fists and his eyebrows furrowing strongly. But pretending not to realize his tiny movements, you kept talking. You wanted to provoke one, any reaction from him, was it a frustrated order to keep quiet, or a little smile, or a cry. Anything to demolish the wall he was building around his heart. You couldn't allow him to clam up any further, even if that meant getting into a furious fight.  
Therefore, while you were coming home after a long day at work, you reconsidered Holly's suggestion. Perhaps it wasn't entirely to be ignored. Perhaps tough love was the only way to make things right. So you concluded that it was time for you to face your boyfriend and force him to open up to you, whether he wanted or not.

Entering your home you spot Gladio staring distractedly out of the large living room window and unceremoniously you prepare for attack.  
         "Gladio, we need to talk."

Silence.

You approach him with long strides and grab his arm firmly. "Gladio... I'm sick and tired of all of this."  
         "Y/n... Not now..." your lover mumbles, lazily slipping out from your grasp.  
         "Then when?!" you retorted, almost bellowing in exasperation, "When will you snap out of it!?" you urged him, piercing his chest with your finger.  
         "I'm tellin' you, I am tryin'..." Gladio whined in an almost imperceptible voice.  
         "If you say so... But it doesn't seem to me." you hissed between your teeth, "It's more than a week that you're here moping and wallowing in self-pity. It's been more than a week that I'm trying to cheer you up and the only thing I get in return is you shying away from my touch and pretending not to hear any word I say" you growl in a hoarse voice, tears hinting to stream down your cheeks.

Still no answer.

         "Please, talk to me... Please!" you begged, resting your forehead on your boyfriend's back. But he obstinately didn't breathe a word, closed in his oppressive muteness. You didn't know how long you've been glued to his broad back in the hope of receiving a reply, but when you've guessed he would never answer back at you, you pulled away from him with a deep sigh.  
         "Okay. So, since you wish to be alone, I'm going at Holly's for a few days." You said coldly.  
As you were heading towards the exit, you were grasped by the wrist.  
        "Y/n! Hold on..." Gladio pleaded with his bottom lip trembling.  
        "Well, if you're going to talk..." You stated, putting your hands on your hips. "Gladdy, tell me what's on your mind. I'm begging you."  
Gladio opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, but his voice struggled to make its way out of his throat.  
        "I-I'm a failure..." He finally mutters, biting his lip. "And I call myself a Shield!? I wasn't even able to protect Noct... I'd sworn to give my fuckin' life to protect him! To make sure that he could sit on his throne. And now because of me, of a defective Shield, all of Eos has lost the only ray of hope of living in peace!" falling on his knees he began to sob.  
        "How am I to look in the face of all the people who have relied on me!? Iggy lost his sight and Lunafreya sacrificed her life to let Noct do his duty. And I messed everything up." he sputtered with regret, staring at the shaking palm of his hands. "I've made everyone's efforts to help us useless. I should be the dead one, not him!" He roared, clenching his fists.  
"I-If only..."

Feeling a leap in your heart, you knelt in front of him and gently brought his head on your shoulder, sinking your little hands in his long, disheveled strands, massaging him tenderly. Gladio, feeling your warmth, tightened you in a desperate embrace, almost as if he was on the edge of a precipice, and you were the foothold at which he was scrambling for. His hot tears never seemed to stop, enough to soak wet the shirt you were wearing, but you didn't care. You were too focused on cradling your boyfriend back and forth, stroking his back with slow and circular movements, trying to calm his grieving tears. It seemed like you've spent hours in each others' arms, but after having vented a bit, Gladio moved slightly away from your shoulder to dry his cheeks with the palm of his hand, like a little child.  
        "Sorry..." he croaked with voice broken from crying, hanging his head low.  
        "No need to apologize, sweetie" you said with a gentle smile, raising his face with both hands. "You know Gladdy, you're not a defective shield at all, on the contrary. You did your best to protect Noct, but you're just human, like me, like Iggy and Prompto. You have limits." you reassured him moving closer to him, always keeping your sympathetic eyes on his face. "You may be the strongest man in all of Eos, but you can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone... You get it?"  
        "Yeah... I get it but-"  
        "And anyway," you interrupted him "You always tell your friends to share their burdens with you, don't you?" you asked in a whisper. "But with whom do you share yours?"  
        "I-I can make it... By myself..." he stuttered, a veil of bitterness runs through his still dull eyes.  
        "I'm not so sure of that... Just look at you." you pointed out. He groaned in response letting his gaze fall to the ground.  
       "Remember that you are not alone. Rely on the people who love you." you strongly underlined. "You can rest assured that we'll never judge you and no one will ever blame you for what happened." you hearten him with a firm but loving tone, intertwining your fingers with his. "The only thing you need to do now is to react and not to think about the 'ifs' and 'buts'. You must look at the future ahead of you and you must prepare yourself for all the hardships that will await you" you reiterated firmly. "Because your task is not over yet. Your shield still has a purpose. You still have a purpose."  
       "You think...?" he asked sniffling.  
        "Of course. There are so many people to protect and there will be many more now that the nights are getting longer." You continued, stroking his sharp cheek with your thumb. "It'll be tough, it'll be tiring, but know that I'll be here to comfort you when you need it. I'll be your safety valve. I'll always be by your side." you reassure him, determination glinting in your eyes.  
        "Right..." Gladio said sighing deeply and shaking his head slightly, as if waking up from a bad dream. Seeing the man's eyes catching a little color as they linger on your face you give him a relieved smile.  
        "Great." you affirmed, "You know, my shoulders may be much smaller than yours, but they can support the weight of your worries."  
Suddenly getting back on your feet you concluded energetically "You can count on me, sweetie!"  
Gladio, returning your smile with a veil of melancholy, stands up and softly slides his muscular arms around your tiny figure, hugging you affectionately and whispers "What would I do without you?"  
Losing yourself to the warmth and the delicacy of his touch that you missed so much, standing on your tiptoes you answer him by resting your soft lips on his.  
        "Sorry, but I'm a bit tired" Gladio echoes, resting his chin on your head. "Guess I'm gonna take a nap. Do you mind?"  
        "Can I keep you company?" you insisted, staring at him with doe eyes and an innocent smile plastered on your face. "I won't speak a word. Promise" you swear raising your hands.  
        "How am I supposed to say no when you look at me that way?" he replies with a slight chuckle that rumbles in his chest.

Taking you by the hand, you both padded into the bedroom and laid one next to the other. Then you sinuously slid an arm under Gladio's neck and then gently pulled his ruffled head on your chest. Finding both a comfortable position, with a deep sigh your boyfriend rests his ear on your breast and lets himself be lulled by your light breaths and calm swelling of your chest, slowly closing his eyes and falling asleep to the sound of the most delicate lullaby he had ever heard.

**Author's Note:**

> I need to improve my skills, so constructive criticism is appreciated! Don't be afraid, I'm not a touchy person :)


End file.
